Sunday, April 17, 2005

L.A. Rails

Atrios highlights an article in today's Times...and, I along with hundreds others, had to comment...

Adding light rail back to Los Angeles -- already happening -- is leading to redevelopment along the lines being developed. This is the only way Los Angeles will grow intelligently. Without it, L.A. will still grow into a massive headache-induced traffic jam.

And one other note, L.A., indeed, did have the most extensive light rail system in the country, if not the world. In the 40s and 50s, Rubber, Oil and Auto companies consipired to ruin the light rail in the city and, thus, citizens had no choice but to turn to cars. So, street cars weren't just "disappearing" at the time that interstate highways were being built, they were forced out.

It makes me sick to this day that L.A. once had this great system and it was destroyed. It will take billions of dollars to rebuild it, but it is the only way to make this second largest city in the country more livable.

Maybe it's a case of what comes first...the transit rider or the transit? More and more, I'm inclined to either attempt carpooling (though, i absolutely detest talking to anybody in the morning during the first 2 or so hours I'm awake) or -- shudder -- taking two buses across town to work...at least one day a week.

Our person to car ratio is supposedly something like 1.02:1 and I heard that if we moved it up to only 1.3:1, all traffic problems would dissipate.

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